The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania released the profile of its new MBA Class of 2026, a cohort that showcases diversity and excellence. This year, 866 students enrolled from an applicant pool of 7,322; last year, 874 students matriculated out of 6,194 applicants, marking an 18 percent increase in application volume for the latest class.
Professional and Academic History
The Wharton MBA Class of 2026 arrived on campus with an average of five years of professional experience. Twenty-eight percent hailed from consulting, making it the most popular pre-MBA industry once again. Private equity and venture capital followed at 15 percent and the nonprofit and government sector at 11 percent. Rounding out the top five industries are tech at 10 percent, and investment banking at nine percent.
During their undergraduate years, 36 percent of the latest Wharton MBA class majored in humanities. Thirty-two percent had pursued STEM studies and the same (32 percent) earned degrees in business. Twenty-two percent of students in the class graduated from schools outside the U.S. Their average undergraduate GPA landed at 3.7 (based on universities with a 4.0 scale).
| Average Undergraduate GPA | 3.7 |
| Percent majoring in humanities | 36% |
| Percent majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math | 32% |
| Percent majoring in business | 32% |
For those who took the GMAT, the average score came in at 732, a four-point increase over last year and just shy of the record high of 733. The average GRE score held at 162 for Verbal and increased to 163 for Quant.
| Average GMAT Score | 732 |
| GRE Quant Average | 163 |
| GRE Verbal Average | 162 |
177 new students (a fifth of the class) are enrolled in one of Wharton’s interdisciplinary or dual-degree programs: the Lauder MBA/MA Joint Degree in International Studies (76), the Carey JD/MBA Program (12), or the MBA in Health Care Management (89). Sixty-two students joined the Wharton MBA program this year through the Moelis Advance Access Program.
Student Characteristics
Women make up 47 percent of the class, continuing Wharton’s pursuit of gender parity in the MBA program. Thirty-one percent are international students, representing 65 countries. Ten percent identify as LGBTQ+ students and another 11 percent are first-generation college students, a testament to its commitment to inclusivity.
That inclusivity is also reflected in the racial and ethnic class demographics. U.S. minorities comprise 35 percent of the class. Based on Federal guidelines, six percent identify as Black/African American, eight percent as Hispanic/Latinx, and 20 percent as Asian American. Another one percent identify as mixed-race.
| Women | 47% |
| LGBTQ+ | 10% |
| Countries Represented (by citizenship) | 65 |
| International Students | 31% |
| Average Work Experience | 5 years |
See the full Wharton MBA class profile for 2026 here.
